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Thursday, June 21, 2012

FILM TOPIC: Dredd (2012) vs. The Raid: Redemption

Today was the big debut of the Dredd remake's trailer. It's beautifully shot and designed like that other 90s remake Total Recall. They both have tough guy leads and hot girls as heroes and villains. But this post is not about comparing those two future blockbuster hits. It's about a specific scene in the trailer that appears to be a sneak peek of the second half of the film, where futuristic law enforcement agent Judge Dredd infiltrates a tenement building filled with murders, thieves, and drug addicts who follow the orders of a drug king pin who refers to herself as Ma-Ma (pronounced maw-maw). In the scene, she says, "This is Ma-Ma. Somewhere in this block are two judges. I want 'em dead." Then we're shown a shot of the hollowed-out center of the building and the seemingly endless floors peppered with armed sociopaths.

When I saw that scene, I immediately thought of the Indonesian action thriller The Raid: Redemption. In it, a SWAT team infiltrates a tenement building (sounding familiar?) and gets trapped inside as an army of thugs and killers, who live there, follow the orders of a ruthless mobster to attack them. He says, "Good morning. We have some guests trawling the halls today. Now go to work! And please, enjoy yourself." Super close right?

Now I know that Dredd was filmed way before this film came out, but it's such a coincidence that I had to mention it. Definitely going to rent this before Dredd comes out September 21st to see who did it better. Obviously, Raid will have way more hand-to-hand combat and less gunfire, but I'm looking forward to seeing who can keep the suspense going the longest.

The new Dredd wasn't filmed before The Raid came out. The Raid hit theaters in 2011. I doubt the new Dredd script had even been handed in yet by then. Garland had obviously seen The Raid before he was finished writing.

this is an amazing comparison and I have not even seen the Dredd movie yet. A friend told me that it was the same sort of theme. I hold the suspense isnt too similar that I am detracted from enjoying the Dredd movie. I will be very disappointed. I really enjoy the Raid movie though. It has been a long time since a movie captured such engagement and triumph. Movies are back!